California Family Desperately in Need of Financial Support after ALS Diagnosis

September 0916:242019

A California woman struggles to survive and cope with medical bills; appeals for help after her husband’s diagnosis.

Santa Clarita, CA – Jean Greenfield is making a passionate appeal to the public for help. Her husband Seth was suddenly diagnosed with ALS in September 2018, and as a result, the family is in severe financial straits. Jean has set up a GoFundMe campaign in the hopes of raising sufficient funds to support the household and get the services and accommodations her husband needs.

More commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, ALS is a disease that gradually paralyzes people because the brain is no longer able to communicate with the muscles of the body that are typically able to move at will. Over time, as the muscles of the body break down, someone living with ALS will lose the ability to walk, talk, eat, swallow, and eventually breathe. The person’s mind remains unaffected so he or she is aware of everything that is happening to them.

Seth was diagnosed with the C9orf72 Genetic version that was passed to him by his father who passed away in 2015, and his younger brother was also diagnosed, just two months after Seth’s own diagnosis.

There is no cure for ALS, and it is always fatal.

Seth is only 51 years old. He and his wife Jean have two young children. Jean has had to stop working in order to become Seth’s full-time caregiver, and as a result the family is in dire straits.

“We have struggled greatly with insurance and extreme wait times in getting basic necessities for Seth, such as an electric wheelchair, which took several months to be approved, despite his desperate need for it in order for him to get around the house,” says Jean. “Any financial help and support you can give would be such a blessing.”

Jean is desperately hoping to be able to raise enough funds to pay for a wheelchair-accessible van. Seth has been housebound for a year.

“He couldn’t even make it to his son’s prekindergarten graduation.”

Along with certain pieces of equipment that would make Seth and Jean’s life a little easier to bear, they also need help with monthly expenses for medication and household needs. And looking ahead, Jean is worried that she won’t be able to pay for a proper burial:

“It breaks my heart to think about not being able to honor the love of my life when he’s gone. Any amount that you could help us with would be so much appreciated. Thank you.”